THE MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP SHARE VIDEO FOR ‘ARMED AND READY (LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH) / WATCH NOW
LIVE & READY: 1980 – 1984’ 6 DISC BOXSET RELEASED 3RD APRIL 2026 (CHRYSALIS RECORDS)
"Armed And Ready” is taken from the Hammersmith Odeon show from 1983 - a seminal concert in MSG history which formed the, Rock Will Never Die live release. This show has been newly remastered and can be found as part of the Live & Ready: 1980 - 1984 box set out this April.
Listen to the track/watch the video: http://MSG.lnk.to/ArmedandReady
The Michael Schenker Group were founded in 1979 by one of rock’s greatest guitarists Michael Schenker,following his time in Scorpions and UFO. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1980 on Chrysalis Records, was hailed as a commercial and critical success.
‘Live & Ready: 1980 – 1984’, the recently announced 6 disc boxset, captures the live raw power and precision of the group in their formative years. “My whole life has been a journey of constantly developing as a guitar player”, Michael states and this box set is an essential part of that.
This boxset features four complete, career-defining shows across the years which, showcase the development and evolution of Michael Schenker’s performances. He adds,
“These shows and these recordings, they’re all part of what I did in my past, part of my development. It is what it is, part of my life and with good memories. And by the way, this box set, that’s what it’s all about too, that short period of time, ’80 to ’84. It was definitely a crazy and very fast-changing period of time. It’s hard to wrap my head around how fast we had to make changes based on circumstances, but that’s part of life.”
The live albums in the boxset are:
Manchester Apollo - 1980: The explosive debut tour featuring early classics, Nippon Budokan, Tokyo -1981: A legendary show captured at the height of MSG's powers, Hammersmith Odeon – 1983: Recorded at London’s Hammersmith Odeon with special guests including Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine of Scorpions, available in its entirety for the very first time. Seibu Stadium, Tokyo - 1984: A powerhouse festival set showcasing MSG’s melodic metal mastery, with an additional DVD including the full visual concerts of Hammersmith Odeon – 1983 and Seibu Stadium, Tokyo – 1984.
The set is accompanied by a booklet featuring extensive liner notes by acclaimed rock journalist Martin Popoff and a brand-new interview with Michael Schenker himself, offering personal insights into the era, the band, and these legendary performances. The booklet also includes previously unreleased photographs.
Housed in a premium two-part rigid box, this release is designed not only for fans of Michael Schenker and MSG, but also for serious collectors of classic rock and heavy metal history. Remastered at AIR Mastering and with its wealth of unreleased material and expertly curated content, this box set serves as both a stunning time capsule and an essential addition to any rock archive.
